Spark plug cleaner



Nov. 19, 1940. H. RABEZZANA SPARK PLUG CLEANER Filed March 2, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 19, 1940. H. RABEZZANA SPARK PLUG CLEANER Filed March 2, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 x w a a n 9 Inventor Z'Zdfld Patented Nov. 19, 19 40 2,222,518 \sram; PLUG CLEANER Hector Rabezz'ana, Flint, Micln, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Application March 2, 1939, Serial No. 259,307

6 Claims.

5 inner end of the plug which is exposed to high temperature of .the burning gases within the combustion chamber of an engine when thetplug is in use, and which interfere with the proper action of the plug and may cause failure thereof by short circuiting the spark gap, are removed from the plug by a jet of air and entrained abrasive material and the plug restored to its initial condition as regards its efiiciency for the purpose for which it is designed.

The objects of my invention are to provide improved valve mechanism for controlling the flow of air under pressure to a nozzle arranged to projecta stream of air and abrasive against the spark plug being cleaned, to provide improved means for supporting the plug in proper position so that the jet will act effectively thereupon, to provide improved air filtering means for preventing dust laden air from escaping to the external atmosphere, and to otherwise improve spark plug 25 cleaning devices of the sand blast type to which my invention relates.

With the above and other objects of invention in view, my invention consists in the improved spark plug cleaning device illustrated in the accompanying drawings and hereinafter described and claimed; and in such variations and modifications thereof, within the scope of the concluding claims, as will be obviousto those skilled in the art to which. my invention relates. 35 In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a view showing my improved spark plug cleaner partly in side elevation and partly 40 broken away to show features of internal structure.

Figure 2 is a view showing a section upon a horizontal plane indicated by the line 2-2, Figure 1, looking down.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view in side elevation as seen from a position to the left of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a view showing a section upon a plane indicated by the lin 44, Figure 1, look- 50 ing down.

Figure 5 is a sectional view showing certain features of valve mechanism of my device, upon a plane indicated by the line 55, Figure 9, looking toward the left.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 but showing other valve mechanism features upon a plane indicated by the line 8-6, Figure 9.

Figure 7 is a sectional view showing features of the abrasive material nozzle of my device.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view showing cer- 5. tain features of my device.

Figure 9 is a view showing a section upon a plane indicated by the line 9-9 of Figures 5 and 6.

Referring now to the drawings wherein the 10 preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated, the numeral l0 designates an external cylindrical casing made of sheet metal, and II designates an abrasive material hopper arranged within and concentric with the casing l0 and having a cone-shaped lower end l2 as shown. This hopper is supported from the upper end of the casing Ill by an inclined annular sheet metal member l3 the periphery of which is flanged, and seamed with the wall of the casing, as shown at H; or fastened to said wall by welding, by rivets, or otherwise so long as the supporting member is supported within the casing I 0 and serves to support the hopper H which contains the sand or like abrasive material used to clean the plugs. The flanged periphery of the supporting member l3 extends above the casing [0, as at II, to thereby receive and provide a seat for the lower end l6 of a cover I! which closes the upper end of the casing l0 and serves as a support for certain valve mechanism, spark plug supporting means and other mechanism as will hereinafter appear. The cover I! is shown as fastened to the upwardly extending flange l5 of the annular supporting member l3 by screws l8, as many as may be deemed necessary, extending through the lower end of the cover and through said flange.

The supporting member 18 has a series of openings I9 formed, preferably, by striking up small areas of the wallthereof as shown; and the numeral 20 designates a conical deflector having a central opening 2|, and an upwardly will next appear, and sand or equivalent abrasive material which is entrained by the air, are 55 deflected downward and through the opening 2:.

The heavier particles or the abrasive material are,

' supporting member i3; and downward through its free end and located above the spark plug be-.

the holes I9 and into the annular .space between the external casing l0 and the hopper Ii. The dust laden air then flows from the lower end of the casing l0 through an air filter 22 housed within a recess provided for it in the casing i3,

and having a mass of fibrous filtering material 23 which arrests and retains the dust-carried by the air stream; and through an opening 24 in the filter 22 and into the external atmosphere.

The numeral 25 designates a nozzlewhich is supported from the top wall of the cover I? a'sby a stirrup 26, and whereby a stream of air and sand or like abrasive material is discharged against the lower end of a spark plug to be cleaned. This nozzle comprises a hollow casing .21, a concentrically disposed 'jet 23 to which air under pressure is' supplied through a pipe 23, an abrasive material supply tube 33 depending into the hopper i2, and through which abrasive material is supplied to the interior of the casing 21, and a vacuum relieving conduit3l whereby the interior of the casing 21 may be placed in communication with the external atmosphere.

The supply of air under pressure through the .pipe 29 and also the flow of air from the atcasing 32 which is secured to and carried by the head I! and located to' one side and beyond the periphery-thereof, as shown; ,one valve 33 when off its seat 34 serving to admit air under pressure from a'source 35 to the supply pipe 23, and the other valve 36- when in its upper position serving to place the conduit 3i. in communication with-the atmosphere through a slot 31 in the casing 32 and when in its lower position against its seat 38 to interrupt communication with the atmosphere.

The valves 33 and 36 are carried by stems 39, 40 the first of which projects above the'casing 32 further than the second, and the stems and valves are forced upward by springs 4|, 42- with in the casing 32 as shown.

The valves 33 and 36 are both operated by a tappet 43 carried by a lever 44 which is pivotally supported at 45 by arms 46 extending from the valve casing 32; and which lever has a hood 4! at lng cleaned to prevent possible difl'usion of the 60, as shown, and the hood 41 is depressed by the.

abrasive material being used into the surround-' ing atmosphere. The lever 44 has a stop 48 which engages the casing 32 to limit upward swinging movement thereof; and the lever is shown as bifurcated, and the tappet 43 as a roller supported by a pin 49 extending between the two parts thereof.

In using my improved spark plug cleaner the lower threaded end of a spark plugto be cleaned is inserted in an opening in a rotatable support hand of the operator thus swinging the lever 44 upon its pivotal support 45.

The first eiiect of this movement is to open the valve 33 as the tappet 43 engages the longer stem 39 of this valve, but not to depress the valve 36 as the tappet has not yet engaged the shorter "tion.

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stem 40 of this valve. The operator may pause with the parts in this position, with the valve 33 opened and the valve 33 in its uppermost position; during which time air under pressure will flow through the pipe 23 and the nozzle 23, but abrasive material will not be drawn from the hopper I2 because the interior of the casing 21 is in communication with the atmosphere through the vacuum relieving conduit- 3! and the slot 31.

Air only and unmixed with abrasive material will be blown against the spark plug so long as the valve 33 is of! its seat, and the valve 33 is out of contact with its seat 38. when, however, the hood 47 is further depressed the valve 33 will be completely opened and the valve 36 will be pressed against its seat 38; which action will interrupt communication between the casing 2'! and the atmosphere through the conduit 3i and slot 31, and mingled air and abrasive material will be projected against the plug being cleaned.

The support 33 should be rotated during the cleaning operation so that the jet of air and abrasive material engage the plug throughout its entire circumference. After the plug has been cleaned the operator will permit the hood 4! to rise under the influence of the springs 4|, 42. .He may, however, pause with the valve 33 in its uppermost position but while the valve 33 is still partially open, and during this interval a stream of air will flow against the plug to blow residual dust therefrom; but no abrasive will flow with the air stream because the interior of the nozzle casing 21 will'be in communication with the atmosphere through the vacuum relieving conduit 3| and the slot 37.

The plug supporting member 50 may be made of molded rubber or equivalent material, and the upper end thereof is shown as having a metallic lining sleeve 5| molded in place and adapted to receive the threaded lower end of a spark plug as shown; and the lower end of this supporting member has a circular guide '52 which fits closely within an internal circular seat at the upper end of a bearing member 53 which is carried by the top wall of the cover H; the plug supporting member 50 being rotatable within the bearing member 53 as hereinbefore explained,

and the plug supporting member 50 having a peripheral flange 54 for limting downward movement thereof.

The bearing member 53 has two internal cirlower end of the bearing member 53, be used in place of the plug supporting member 50 shown, the axis about which .the 'substituted'plug supporting member will rotate will be shifted to the leit;thus shifting the plug being cleaned to the left relative to the jet discharged from the nozzle 25 and enabling the device to be used for cleaning plugs of smaller diameter than the particular plug contemplated in the foregoing descrip- Having thus described and explained my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a spark plug cleaning device of the class described, means for supporting a spark plug to be cleaned; an aspirating nozzle arranged to discharge a stream of air and abrasive material against said spark plug; means supplying abrasive to said nozzle; a pipe leading to said nozzle for supplying air under pressure thereto; a normally closed valve for controlling the 'flow of air through said pipe; a vacuum relieving conduit leading from said nozzle to the atmosphere; a normally open valve for controlling said conduit; a manually operable hood. arranged above said plug supporting means; and means operable by said hood and through which movement imparted to said hood is communicated to said valves.

2. In a spark plug cleaning device of the class described, means for supporting a spark plug to be cleaned; a nozzle arranged to discharge a stream of air and abrasive material against said spark plug; a pipe leading to said nozzle for supplying air under pressure thereto; a normally closed valve for controlling the flow of air through said pipe; a vacuum relieving conduit leading from said nozzle to the atmosphere; a normally open valve for controlling said conduit; an oscillating lever associated with both said valves; and a manually operable hood at the free end of said lever and disposed above said spark plug supporting means.

3. In a spark plug cleaning device of the class described, a nozzle arranged to discharge a jet of air and abrasive material against the lower end of a spark plug to be cleaned; a rotatable spark plug supporting member; and a bearing member for supporting said plug supporting member; said bearing member having two internal circular bearing seats arranged one above the other, and which seats are eccentric relative to one another.

4. In a spark plug cleaning device of the class described and in combination with a casing having an open upper end, and an abrasive material hopper inside said casing; a cover for closing the upper end of said casing; a supporting member carried by said cover for supporting a plug to be 40 cleaned; a nozzle supported by said cover and located beneath the same, and so arranged as to discharge a jet of air and abrasive material against the lower end of a spark plug supported by said supporting member; a valve casing car- 45ried by said cover; two valves within said valve .casing one adapted to control the flow of air ,under pressure to said nozzle, and the other to control a communication between said nozzle and the atmosphere; an oscillating lever pivotally supported upon said valve casing, and which lever is operatlvely associated with both saidvalves; and an abrasive material supply tube leading from said hopper to said nozzle.

5. In a spark plug cleaning device of the class described and in combination with a casing having an open upper end, and an abrasive material hopper inside said casing; a cover for closing the upper end of said casing; a supporting member carried by said cover for supporting a plug to be cleaned; a nozzle supported by said cover and located beneath the same, and so arranged as to discharge a jet of air and abrasive material against the lower end of a spark plug supported by said supporting member; a valve casing carried by said cover and located to one side of and beyond the periphery thereof; two reciprocating valves within said valve casing; a pipe leading from said valve casing to said nozzle for supplying air under pressure thereto; a vacuum relieving conduit leading from said nozzle to said valve casing and to the atmosphere; an oscillatinglever supported by said valve casing and adapted to operate both said valves; and an abrasive material supply tube leading from said hopper to said nozzle.

6; In a spark plug cleaning device of the class described and in combination with a sheet metal casing having an open upper end, and an abrasive material hopper Within and smaller than said casing so as to provide an annular space between the two; an inclined supporting member within the upper end of said casing for supporting said hopper, and which member has a series of openings arranged above the space between said casing and said hopper; a conical deflector arranged above and spaced from said supporting member, and having a central opening disposed above said hopper; an air filter housed in a recessprovided within said casing, and through which dust laden air flows from the annular space aforesaidto the atmosphere; 2. cover for closing the open upper end of said casing; means carried by said cover for supporting a spark plug to be cleaned; a nozzle for directing a jet of air and entrained abrasive material against said spark plug; and means for supplying air under pressure to said nozzle.

HECTOR RABEZZANA. 

